Orthogonal

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɔːˈθɒɡənÉ™l/

Origin

From Medieval Latin orthogonalis, from Latin orthogonius ("right-angled").

Full definition of orthogonal

Adjective

1. (geometry) Of two objects, at right angles; perpendicular to each other.A chord and the radius that bisects it are orthogonal.
2. (mathematics)
1. Of a pair of vectors: having a zero inner product; perpendicular.The normal vector and tangent vector at a given point are orthogonal.
2. Of a square matrix: such that its transpose is equal to its inverse.
3. Of a linear transformation: preserving its angles.
3. (statistics) Statistically independent, with reference to variates.
4. (software engineering) Of two or more aspects of a problem, able to be treated separately.The content of the message should be orthogonal to the means of its delivery.
5. Of two or more problems or subjects, independent of or irrelevant to each other.

Derived terms

• orthogonality

Related terms

• orthogonalization
• orthogonal base
• orthogonal matrix
• orthogonal transform
• orthonormal

See also

• uncorrelated